Sophomore and varsity center midfielder Chelsea Moore and freshman and varsity sweeper Margo McHugh recently found out that they made the Colorado Mountain Region Olympic Development Program Team (ODP).

This team is a step in the process of making the Region IV Team, a team compromised of players from twelve states in the Western U.S. that play against the other three U.S. regional teams.

The only AHS students who made the Mountain Region ODP Team from the U16 age group were Moore and McHugh; however, two U14s from Aspen’s younger soccer team—Kelly Francis and Delaney Card—made the team for their age group.

The tryouts were held with girls from all around the mountain region including athletes from Steamboat, Eagle, Montrose, Grand Junction, and the Roaring Fork Valley. Athletes were selected based on their technique, tactics, athletic abilities, and attitudes.

Moore and McHugh were invited to the Arizona Scramble on June 3-5, a Sub-IV Division tryout with kids from Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada. This tryout feeds the best players to another round of Division IV tryouts.

“I wanted to tryout because ODP is a positive step in the direction of playing regionally and nationally and that is a goal of mine (to play at the highest level). There were girls trying out from all around the region,” McHugh said. “Chelsea and I are on the Mountain region ODP team. June 3-5, we will go to Arizona for a sub-regional scramble. “Scrambled means that we will be put into random teams with other girls from Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada.”

Regardless of how far the girls get in future tryouts, just being an athlete on the Mountain Region ODP Team is an accomplishment on its own.

“I play on many select teams, but this one is the real deal. It is how I can get recognized by colleges and even pro teams,” Moore said. “These tryouts were the best opportunity I had to play more advanced soccer with skilled girls.”

According to the ODP statement, the benefits of participating in its program include “development as a player, the opportunity to train and play with the best players in one’s age group, quality instruction and competition, and exposure to regional, national, and college coaches.”